Panaji, Aug 25 (IANS): Former Union Finance Minister and All India Congress Committee (AICC) election observer in-charge of Goa P. Chidambaram arrived in the coastal state on a two-day visit to bolster the opposition party's preparations for the 2022 state assembly polls.

Chidambaram is expected to meet party leaders and official functionaries across ranks during his first visit to the state as an AICC senior observer during his two-day visit.

"P. Chidambaram will meet and discuss with various leaders and party functionaries during his two days visit. He will interact Pradesh Congress Committee office bearers, frontals, district and block presidents and will take inputs to work out strategies for upcoming assembly elections," a senior party official said.

Chidambaram was appointed as the party's senior overseer for the polls earlier this month.

According to state Congress president Girish Chodankar, Chidambaram's appointment is a shot in the arm for the state Congress unit, which has seen simmering differences between top leaders in recent times.

"In the past, election observers were usually appointed barely two months ahead of the elections. It is for the first time that the party leadership has appointed observers a good six months ahead. And the fact that a senior leader of the status of Chidambaram has been appointed as observer shows that the party wants to leave nothing to chance this time," Chodankar said.